Grog abuse starts in the home

The war against binge drinking has begun, and not before time.

Thousands of young people are turning up at hospitals all around Australia every night of the week needing treatment for alcohol abuse.

This is a national scandal and demands forthright action.

In Queensland, the Bligh Government fired a salvo at binge drinking by announcing a crackdown on alcohol consumption and a review of opening times for clubs and other liquor outlets.

The Government also wants to double the fines for adults - including parents - who supply alcohol to minors.

The government isn't the only organisation worried about alcohol abuse, especially among young people.

The Gold Coast chapter of the Queensland Hotels Association says pub owners want limits imposed on the alcohol content of pre-mixed cans and bottles.

In some cases, a standard 375ml pre-mixed drink can contain the equivalent of nearly three standard drinks.

It is no wonder teenagers, drawn by the attractive packaging and the sweet taste of 'alcopops', become very drunk, very quickly.

But pre-mixed drinks are just one element of a problem which has many causes.

What Gold Coasters see on the streets of Surfers Paradise and at teenage parties in the suburbs, happens most weekends all around the nation. Binge drinking has become an epidemic for Australia.

Thirty per cent of children aged between 14 and 17 drink alcohol every week and 70 per cent get it from friends or relatives. In other words, the likely source of alcohol abuse among young people is the poor example set by the people who supposedly love them most -- their parents and friends.

The custom in Australia used to be that parents did not give alcohol to children under the legal drinking age. Now that custom, based on the wisdom of what alcohol can do to a developing brain, appears to be rarely applied.

If binge drinking is to be beaten or at least minimised, parents have to start caring about the attitudes of their children towards alcohol.

Expecting governments to fix society's hangover is little more than a cop-out.

Good Thinking

The hard work really begins now for the ideas coming out of Summit 2020.

In his initial report, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made the point that the momentum had to come not just from governments.

"The ideas presented indicate that many Australians expect business and not-for-profit organisations to play more prominent roles in Australia," he said.

"There is a sense of government needing to see its role as creating opportunities through fair and consistent policies delivered with a light hand - government as enabling rather than controlling, as encouraging rather than prescribing," he said.

It is a position endorsed by this newspaper.

The greatest achievements in Australian history have come largely through the private sector.

A more open and subservient government creating opportunities for entrepreneurs and innovators is a vision worth working towards.

Gold Coast